Propeller spinner attaching device



March 20, 1945.

A. c. CHESTER ETAL PROPELLER SPINNER ATTACHING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18,1943 MLBEETB CLAUSE/V,

p'fs.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 20,1945

2,371,801 raorELLEa SPINNER ATTACHING nsvroa Arthur 0. Chester andAlbert Peter Clausen, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August. 18, 1943, Serial No. 499,050

r 2 Claims. (Cl. 170-159) It has heretofore been proposed to employ aspinner, that is a hollow streamline body, over the hub of the propellerof an aircraft. However, the means for attaching the spinner in positionon the propeller has made it rather difficult to either assemble thespinner, or to take it apart in case that access to the hub of thepropeller is necessary. This is particularly difficult with certaintypes of planes.

The invention relates to an improvement in a propeller spinner attachingdevice and has for an object to increase the facility with which thespinner may be assembled on the propeller, or disassembled therefrom.More particularly, an object of the invention is to make it possible tolock the spinner sections from the exterior of the spinner withoutmaking it necessary to gain access to the interior of the spinner asheretofore. This is accomplished by providing locking means havingoperating heads accessible from the exterior of the sections to belocked.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to thedrawing wherein Fig. 1 is a. sectional view with parts broken away, ofthe spinner attaching device of this invention, showing the frontspinner section attached to the rear spinner section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig.

1, but with the attaching device disconnected and the front and rearspinner sections separated.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts broken away of the attaching device asit appears when the front and rear spinner sections are separated.

Fig. 4 is a view either in plan or elevation, in reduced scale, of thetwo spinner sections separated and having the attaching device of thisinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the spinner I comprises a frontsection 2 and a rear section 3 which are metal streamline bodies to befastened together and having several cutaway portions such as 4 and 5 toaccommodate the blades of the propeller. The sections 2 and 3 are hollowstreamline bodies, the rear section 3 being imperforate so far asconcerns apertures to gain access to a device to lock the two sectionstogether. Rear section 3 at the right end thereof not shown, terminatesin a plane at right angles to the spinner axis, and that right endmerges with the streamline of the cowling.

The rear section 3 comprises a shell 6 inside of which is a web I havinga flange 8 which fits and extends around the inside of the left end ofshell 6 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The-flange 8 is spotwelded to theshell 6 and projects beyond I! the end of shell 3 where it has a fiatportion I which extends in a plane at right angles to the spinner axisand forms a base for a part of the attaching device of this invention.The base 9 is depressed adjacent the cutaway portion 5 to fit around thepropeller. The base 9 slopes inwardly as indicated at IU where it meetsanother web II, as indicated at l2 where these webs are welded together.The web ll continues to the rear of shell 3 and has a flanged portionnot shown extending around and fitting the inside thereof and weldedthereto.

The front section 2 and rear section 3 meet and fit on the flange 8, theparting line being indicated at l3 in Fig. 1.

Mounted on the base 9, which in efiect forms an end wall portion of thesection 3, is an array of bifurcated studs one of which is shown at llin Fig. 2, and others are indicated at l5, l6 and I! in Fig. 4.Preferably there is a pair of studs such as l4, l5 for each propellerblade.

As shown in Fig. 2, the studs such as M are mounted in apertures such asM in base 9 and extend generally along the spinner axis. Studs l4, etc.,have a threaded portion [8 having suitable washers l9, nut 20 and locknut 2| at one side of the base 9. At the other side of base 3 thestudsl4, etc., have an enlarged head l8 with a slot or bifurcation 22 shownin Fig. 3, and with a conical or tapered portion 23 conjoining oropening into the slot 22. The axis of each of the tapered portions 23 inthe various studs such as H, extends radially with respect to thespinner axis.

The front section 2 is reinforced by a web 24 having a central aperture25 through which projects an extension of the propeller shaft, thatextension centering in a bearing not shown, inside the nose of the frontsection 2.

The web 24 has a fiange 25 which fits around the inside of the right endof the front section 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The flange 26 isspotwelded to the end of the section 2.

Arranged inside of and adjacent the end of the front section 2 is anarray of brackets 21 each carrying a locking device 28 which is acompanion for one. of the studs [4, etc. The bracket 21 has a base 29which fits on and is riveted to the flange 26 as indicated at 30.Bracket 21 has two spaced inwardly projecting portions 3|, 32 whichmerge with a cross piece 33 having an aperture 34 in which is pressfitted a threaded collar 35. The base of the bracket 21 is provided withaperture 36 in which fits the head 31 of the bolt 38 which is screwthreaded into the collar 35. The head W of the stud ll fits in therecess between the parts 3|, 32, 33.

The bolt 38 is provided with a tapered portion 39 which fits the taperedportion 23 in the stud H. Also the slot 22 is wide enough to receive theshank of the bolt 38. Bolt 38 is provided with a stop washer 40 so thatbolt 33' cannot be entirely removed and lost. The front section 2 andthe web 24 have anaperture H which aligns with the aperture 36 in thebracket 31, so that access to the head of bolt 33 may be had from theexterior of the front section 2.

When the spinner sections 2 and 3 are separated, the attaching devicecannot be misplaced because the studs such as It are fixed to the rearsection 3 and the companion locking: bolts such as 38 are movable in butnot removable from the front section 2.

- When it is desired to attach the two sections 2 and 3 together aboutthe propeller, these two sections are placed on opposite sides of thepropeller, with each pair of cutaway portions 4 and 5 in line with apropeller blade and with the studs such a It lined up with theircorresponding lock bolts such as 38. The two sections 2 and 3 are thenfitted together as shown in Fig. 1, the slot 22 passing over the shankof the bolt 38, the bolt 38 at this time being retracted from theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the studs l4 fitting in the recess 42.Then the bolt 33 is screwed in and the tapered or conical portion 33cooperates with the mating tapered or conical portion 23 to act as a camor wedge and pull the two sections together longitudinally- When it isdesired to unfasten the two sections, the bolts such as 38 are unscreweduntil the tapered portion 39 is withdrawn from recess 42, and then theslot 22 will pass the shank of bolt 38, and permit front section 2 to beseparated from rear section 3. By means not shown and which forms nopart of the present invention, the rear section 3 of the propellerspinner is bolted directly to the hub of the propeller and 2,371,801 Ithe present invention, namely by means 03 a a w lar in the frontbulkhead of the spinner engag= ing a lug in the front end of thepropeller.

It will therefore be apparent that we have provided a spinner attachingdevice which is simple in operation, which is effective to properlyalign the two sections together, wherein the parts of the attachingdevice cannot be misplaced, and whereinthe attaching device isaccessible from the exterior of the spinner.

Various modifications, may be made in the invention, without departingfrom the spirit of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a hollow spinner having front and rear sections fitting togetherwith the propeller therebetween, means for attaching said sections, saidmeans comprising an array of studs each having an outwardly facingconical surface conjoining a bifurcation, said rear section having anend wall, means securing each of said studs so that they projectoutwardly from said end wall with the axis of each conical surfaceradial of the spinner axis, a corresponding array of movable bolts eachhaving a head, means secured to the front section supporting each ofsaid bolts for radial movement inside of said front section, each ofsaid bolts having a shank smaller than said bifurcation and aninwardlyfacing conical surface fitting said stud conical surface, said frontsection having an aperture for the head of each of said bolts to permitaccess thereto from the exterior of said front'section.

2. Attachment means for a hollow spinner having front and rear sections,said means comprising an array of brackets inside of and secured to saidfront section, each of said brackets having a radially inner threadedportion, a cam bolt threaded in each of said brackets for radialmovement with the head of the bolt out, each of said brackets having arecess, and cam studs fixed to and extending lengthwise of said rearsection and each fitting one of said recesses, said front section andeach of said studs having a recess for the head of each of said bolts.

ARTHUR C. CHESTER. ALBERT PETER CLAUSEN.

